Deceived
by Channie521
Summary: Snape encounters Hermione in a muggle bookstore, claiming to be someone else, with no recollection of her past. He finds himself offering to help her reclaim her lost memories. He soon finds himself regretting this decision. HGSS


_Hello! This is my first story on I've been poking around here for years, and finally decided to give it a shot myself. I have always been a fan of Harry Potter, and Hermione has always struck a chord with me. The Snape/Hermione stories can be very interesting because the reader gets to see Snape's character development; I refuse to believe that he is completely nice inside…he needs a shove in the right direction. _

_This will be HG/SS. The rating may change, should I see fit. However, I will not sacrifice a halfway decent plotline for smut (I enjoy it, but I would MUCH rather write a good story)._

_If you have any questions/suggestions, I await them eagerly, so feel free to hit the 'rely' button!_

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story; they belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling (I just tinkered with one a little.) However, I am proud to say that the plot is of my own creation.

* * *

Someone entered the bookstore, causing the bell on the door to jingle, but he paid it no heed, continuing to peruse the collection of books, which was rather impressive, that is, for a muggle store. Fingers running over the worn spines, Severus Snape was unpleasantly surprised to find his search interrupted by a light tap on the arm.

"Excuse me, can you please hand me that large, red book just above your head? It's out of my reach."

Severus scowled and was about to deny the request when he looked down at the girl who had dared interrupt his search. _Of course, _Miss GrangerMust this insufferable girl pester him? He had assumed he would never see her again, once she graduated Hogwarts.

How wrong he was.

"And why do you need this particular book, Miss Granger?" he sneered.

The girl looked taken aback. "Miss Granger? What on earth are you talking about?"

"I came to this shop to see if the muggles have any books that may further my research," he said, gesturing at the chemistry texts, "and I do not have time to play silly games with you."

"Well, I need one of those books for my chemistry class, and am far too short to reach it myself. If you could kindly hand it to me, I will be on my way, and you can continue with your research and…muggles…as you please."

"You don't mean to tell me that you have forgotten what muggles are, Miss Granger?" Snape sneered. "How you managed to be top in your year is beyond me."

The girl was losing her patience. Putting her hands on her his, she shouted, "Look, I'm _not_ MissGranger, I have no idea what the hell a muggle is, and I need that book for a school assignment! Please just hand it to me!"

Realizing that she was serious, or at the very least delusional, Snape examined the girl closely for the first time that morning. It was definitely Miss Granger, although she _did_ seem a little different. There was a…lack of presence about her, he decided. If he hadn't known better, he would have mistaken her for a common muggle. She certainly _looked _like a muggle, dressed in jeans and a sweater. At any rate, there was definitely something strange about the girl; she clearly did not recognize him in the slightest, or she wouldn't have dared to shout at him in such an impudent manner.

"Well, may you please hand me the book?" she asked, breaking him from his reverie.

Severus had had enough. If he gave her the infernal book, she would most likely leave, and he would be left alone, again. "Very well…"

"Devorah. Devorah Keladry."

He grabbed the chemistry book and handed it to her and was rewarded with a smile and thanks from Devorah, her eyes filling with light. _Well, of course,_ a voice in his head told him, _you gave her the book. She probably cannot wait to go off and memorize it._ Still…receiving any sort of appreciation was…unusual for Severus, especially from a student, so with a smirk he said, "Thanks are unnecessary."

The girl, seeing through his charade, rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine. Now you know my name, but you never told me yours. I generally don't make a point of chatting up someone old enough to be my teacher, but it's not every day I'm mistaken for someone else, so I'm making an exception."

He scowled. Miss Granger would never have been so cheeky. But then, this clearly wasn't Miss Granger. Knowing he would regret it later, he replied, "My name is Severus Snape. And I _was_ your professor. I taught you potions for seven awful years, whether you remember or not."

Happy at gaining some ground with the quarrelsome older man, Devorah smirked. "Potions…that's a rather queer class to take. Rather archaic, don't you think, Severus? But…was I good at…potions?"

Severus scowled. Was this girl like Miss Granger, grade obsessed, or was she trying to make conversation? At any rate, he'd had quite enough of her. "I'll thank you to call me _Mr. Snape_. And as for your skills regarding potions…you were an insufferable know-it-all."

Devorah grinned upon hearing his initial response, clearly taking enjoyment from harassing Severus, but as soon as those last words had left his lips, she froze. Severus could practically see the wheels in her head come to a halt. Did she really not remember anything? Did she really think that she was a muggle girl with an odd name? That she had not completed her schooling? And if so, what made her forget? Severus had paid Granger very little attention while she was his student, as was his practice regarding those who did not belong to his house, but now he found himself curious about her. _No, not her, _he reminded himself, _this persona. I care nothing for annoying Gryffindors._

That was all she had ever been to him.

"Pro-professor?" Devorah asked, looking up at him questioningly. She was staring at him so intensely, as if trying to find the answer to her question in his eyes. Light brown eyes battled dark ones in a quest for the truth, making Severus _very _uncomfortable, but if Devorah noticed his discomfort, she paid him no heed. _The girl was becoming almost fearful,_ Snape noted. If he didn't know better, he thought he saw a spark of recognition in her eyes intently peering at him.

"Do you remember, then"? he asked, not unkindly. If she had been Oblivated, as seemed to be the case, and remembered anything at all, he needed to know. If she had forgotten everything about her previous life, then she had been subjected to an extremely strong spell. Even partial recovery from such an incident had never been heard of. _It would be extraordinary opportunity,_ he thought, _if he was able to help this girl._ Research in this field was nonexistent, due to the lack of test subjects. The thought of such a rare opportunity was attracting, really, and Severus unconsciously stepped closer to the girl.

"I…those words…they're so familiar…" Devorah stammered, "but…I can't remember, I just don't know!" She was now near tears.

It wasn't the first time Severus Snape had forced a girl to tears, and it would probably not be the last, but, all the same, he felt a twinge in his chest. He had never hated Miss Granger. She may have been annoying, but she was nothing when compared to Potter. At times, it even galled him that she had not been placed in his house, because he had rarely seen a student possessing as much skill at potions making as she, much less a desire to learn. He truly meant her no harm; he was simply not used to subjecting himself to the use of such niceties.

It was this reason, he told himself, which caused him to tentatively rest a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. Devorah jumped slightly, surprised by the contact, but did not move. Severus awkwardly patted her on the shoulder, not sure of what else he could do to comfort her. It would not do to cause his test subject to have a nervous breakdown, especially since he had yet to announce his intentions.

Lowering himself so that they stood eye to eye, he looked into Devorah's eyes and asked, "Would you like me to help you? Remember, that is. I think I know what happened, and I may be able to help."

He was rewarded with a small smile, the second one he had received from her. "I would like that," she said quietly, "but I really need to go." She raised the red book that she was still holding in her hands. Severus eyed it ruefully; it was a reminder of why she had entered the store, encountered Severus, and attracted his curiosity.

"Very well," Severus said, "I shall leave you to your…studies. But we must start as soon as possible; while we tarry, your condition might set in completely. When does your…school end for the day?"

"Three o'clock," Devorah answered. She had looked visibly nervous at the thought of her condition worsening, but appreciation was now clear on her face as she looked at Severus, and she ignored Severus's obvious contempt for the muggle life she lead.

Severus stood up. "Very well, meet me here tomorrow when you are finished." Inwardly, he relaxed slightly. She would need to trust him, or it would be difficult to invade her mind and break through the barriers that he assumed had been established by the Oblivate. Yes, gratitude was good. She seemed friendly enough, perhaps _too_ friendly. _That will change,_ he thought, not without a small trace of sadness, _once she regains more memories._

"Ahem."

Severus looked at the girl, confused, until he realized that his hand was still on her shoulder. Muttering something unintelligible, he hastily removed it, and Devorah left with a wave, to purchase her book.

He needed to leave quickly, he decided, in case the girl tried to engage him in conversation again. More conversation was the last thing he needed. His actions, however mundane they appeared, were completely uncharacteristic. The idea of comforting the girl in any way, including _touching_ her, albeit innocently, he hastily reminded himself, was very foreign. He wasn't entirely appalled by the idea, which frightened him. Next time he saw Miss Keladry, he needed to maintain absolute propriety, he decided, as he strode out of the shop, long black coat billowing behind him, his original purpose for entering the store forgotten as he wondered what in Merlin's name could possibly cause him to regret the return of Miss Granger's memories.

Severus found himself fighting to maintain old habits that had once been very hard to break.

* * *

Walking home, Devorah couldn't help but feel conflicted. Had she really lost her memories? Was she really Miss Granger? Did Miss Granger have no first name, or was Severus (_Now _there's _an odd name,_ she thought) just a stuffy old man?

_He's not _that_ old_, the annoying voice in her head that loved to cause mischief told her. Devorah shoved the thought aside, blushing. It was exactly what she _didn't_ need right now. Here she was, a victim of amnesia or something of the sort, she had just allowed an undeniably shady guy to help her retrieve her forgotten memories, and she was thinking of him like that? For all she knew, her past self had loathed the man. Thinking like the hormonal teenager she was would cause things to go very badly.

So, instead of remembering how Severus had tried to comfort her and the way his dark brown eyes had intensely stared down at her, Devorah tried to remember her past. How had the words 'insufferable know-it-all" triggered a vague recollection? She squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out her surroundings, attempting to delve into her mind. After running into two rather sturdy trees and a street sign with nothing to show but a few bruises and a headache, Devorah gave up.

_Maybe Severus really will be able to help,_ she thought. She really believed that he was right, that she wasn't really Devorah The notion was far-fetched, true, but it felt…_right_.

Of course, Devorah (she refused to refer to herself as Miss Granger…it was just plain weird) seriously doubted that her parents would agree. She stopped in her tracks, facing the modest size two-story house that she and her parents shared. _Are my parents…my parents?_ she asked herself. For all she knew, they could be complete strangers. It was an unpleasant thought, indeed. _Perhaps it would be best,_ she thought, _to keep this a secret for now, at least until I can get some answers. _

Upon entering the house and shouting greetings to her mother, who was in the kitchen making dinner, Devorah ran upstairs to her room. Chemistry homework forgotten, she grabbed a pen and notebook sitting on her desk, she flopped onto her bed and proceeded to make a list of questions to ask Severus…what was his last name again? _Oh well_, she thought, and added this thought to the quickly growing list. Devorah trusted Severus to help her, even though she had absolutely no clue _why_ he had made the offer.

As each though arose, her list grew longer.

As Devorah began to run out of questions for her list, she narrowed her eyes and balled her hands into fists in frustration. Suddenly, an image of a snake appeared on the paper. Devorah's eyes widened. How did that happen? Did _she_ make the snake?

Growing curious, she eyed the snake closer. She really wasn't very fond of snakes. In fact, she was much more of a cat person. Squinting her eyes again, Devorah focused on the image and sure enough, it morphed into a rather sturdy looking orange colored cat. Devorah delicately placed her finger on the picture and the cat closed its eyes, enjoying the touch.

Devorah grinned. _Well,_ she thought, _tomorrow should prove to be _very_ interesting, indeed.

* * *

_

_Well, that's it for the first chapter! Looks like Devorah did some magic! Hermione may have harnessed her magic, but Devorah thought she was a muggle…er, normal person. Next time will be their next encounter, which will hopefully be longer. The posting of the next chapter will depend on when I have time (I am at a summer music program, and am busy almost all day), and when my laptop has an internet connection._

_Until then!_­­­­­


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